IKEA tested a new city-center concept store in Spain, created after interviews with many customers who visited two city-center pop-ups over 10 days in October 2016. This is a 900-sqm store on a top commercial street of Madrid. The store’s temporary focus during its first six months of operation was on bedrooms; followed by another product theme.

Key data

Country: Spain
Retailer: IKEA
Category: Home furnishings
Format: New city-center store
Website: www.ikea.com/ms/es_ES/campaigns/tienda-serrano

Why is it innovative ?

It’s a different IKEA. The company wants to test a new relationship with customers and discover the right ingredients for the IKEA of the future. „ Experiential shopping and inspiration Visual merchandising is based on surrealism in dreams, supporting the bedroom theme. Window displays are created by different local artists and changed monthly.

Customization

Pillows and sheets can be instantly embroidered with initials or five pre-set phrases that change monthly. The iconic furniture can be customized with vinyl designs or lacquered in different colors. The signature PAX wardrobe system is customized for specific spaces.

Higher interaction

Workshops are held in the store’s coffee shop and customers can ask for expert interior-design advice. A customer can ask a question in a digital booth and will receive an emailed solution, or can schedule an appointment with an interior designer via the web, in the store, or at home. „

Product range

Although only 300 in-store products are available to take home, every IKEA  product can be bought online and delivered.

Ebeltoft Group Expert Comment

IKEA is not just opening a store in the city center, as are many other outskirts retailers in Spain, but is developing a new way to engage with customers. The new concept offers more experiential shopping and exciting new features, so a trip to the city-center store adds to – and does not eliminate – a trip to the traditional IKEA. The company is delivering the new format as a continuous testing concept, until it identifies what best suits customers, both in the city-center concept and as new elements to enhance the traditional outskirts concept.